Redemption
by xLittletail
Summary: After the events of the dark battle, Tigerstar has been killed once again. And now, a mysterious being has stripped away all the qualities that made him the ruthless leader that he was and has sent him back to before he killed Redtail. Without the bloody ambition inside him, will Tigerclaw change history for the better or will he still manage to claim leadership with his own claws?
1. Prologue

**Welcome, one-and-all, to the reboot of "Redemption"!**

 **A few things to address before we get started:**

 **-** Like I said, this is a reboot of a story that I wrote a bit earlier this year. I wasn't happy with the plot nor the writing so I decided to give it a bit of a revise. I'm quite glad I did, and I'm sure you guys will be as well!

 **-** Updates will most likely occur [alternatively] Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, but if I miss a day or two, don't stress!

 **That's all there is to say, so...**

 **Let's get on with the Prologue!**

* * *

 **\- Redemption : Chapter 00 : Prologue**

* * *

In the world engulfed by blackness, a lonely, dark brown tabby lied in a bloodied heap.

The tabby groaned, slowly shifting into a more upright position as a dull pain throbbed throughout his body. His nose twitched as the heavy, metallic scent of blood hit his senses, and he gazed down at the ground below him.

Even in the darkness, he could see the crimson liquid at his paws.

He narrowed his amber eyes, something felt... off.

The tabby slowly lifted a paw up to his neck.

His breath got caught in his throat- or, lack of- as felt the deep gashes, still wet with fresh blood.

He shakily withdrew his paw, letting out a few small chuckles as he nearly fell back onto his rump. "L-Look at you, fiercest cat in the history of the clans, scared by a few life-threatening tears in his throat." He spoke aloud to himself. "W-Well, I suppose 'life-threatening' is a bit inaccurate..."

Suddenly, a bright flash sparked in front of him, causing the tabby to jump.

The light morphed into the figure of a cat. The tabby wrinkled his nose in disgust as he took in the light's form; a pink, wrinkly, cat-like creature with thin patches of brown fur, as well as white, hollow eyes.

"Who are you?" He shouted questioningly.

The figure simply stared back at him.

He bared his teeth. "Who-"

"Tigerclaw!"

He jumped once again, thrown off by the booming voice. "It's Tigerstar, get it right; or else!" The tabby snarled, quickly regaining his composure.

The figure ignored him. "You've done many terrible things, haven't you... Tigerclaw?"

Tigerclaw- er, star, narrowed his eyes. "What did I just-"

"You've killed many cats."

Tigerstar closed his mouth, glaring at the figure. "Yeah... So, what?"

"You've taken the lives of innocent cats, leaving them to graze the meadows of StarClan as they await the inevitable arrival of their loved ones. While you..." The voice continued. "You are left to rot in eternal darkness."

The tabby snorted. "StarClan." He scoffed. "So, this is where dead cats go when they fade away, eh?" He asked, certain that he was correct.

He took a step forward, tail lashing as a crooked grin formed on his bloodied face. "This is so-called 'life' after the Place of No Stars? This is where my poor, villainous soul is left to wander alone in this dark, cold abyss for all eternity?" Tigerstar continued, mocking the kit-tales told of the shadowy forest he once resided in as his voice grew louder and louder. "Well, guess what? I managed to bring the cats of that wretched hell together, I can do the same thing here. And, no matter where you send me, I'll keep at my attempts to destroy that pathetic excuse for a clan until my soul is nothing more than a sad, pathetic, useless speck of dust!"

Amber eyes matched hollow, white eyes in silence.

"...No..."

The figure lurched forward, bridging their spiritual connection together.

Tigerstar's eyes widened as a shocking, ice-cold sensation spread throughout his nerves. He felt rooted in place as their noses met and his vision went black.

 **\- o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o -**

 _Memories began to flash, one-by-one, before his very eyes._

 **\- o0o0o0o0o0o -**

 _ **From his time as an infant-kitten...**_

 _A young Tigerkit mewled softly as he nuzzled against his dark-pelted mother's stomach..._

 _ **To his father's abandonment...**_

 _An older Tigerkit growled as fiercely as he could at an old, dark brown tom in front of him..._

 _ **To his two sisters' deaths...**_

 _Tigerkit rubbed his head up against his mother's chin, attempting to cheer her up..._

 **\- o0o0o0o0o0o -**

 _ **From his apprentice ceremony...**_

 _A newly-named Tigerpaw held his head proudly as he touched noses with his mentor..._

 _ **To his introduction to the Place of No Stars...**_

 _A smirking Tigerpaw held his amber gaze with an old, scraggly, tortoiseshell she-cat's own..._

 _ **To his harsh training under the guide of his cold-hearted mentor...**_

 _Tigerpaw landed roughly on his shoulder, sand mixing into the freshes scratches from the day's training..._

 **\- o0o0o0o0o0o -**

 _ **From the battle where he ruthlessly murdered ThunderClan's own deputy...**_

 _A crooked grin was plaster on Tigerclaw's face as he sunk his teeth into the tortoiseshell tom's throat, ending his life..._

 _ **To his hatred for the apprentices who'd thwarted his schemes...**_

 _A sneer was evident on Tigerclaw's face as he threw a smaller, black tom to the sandy ground..._

 _ **To his attempted murder on his own leader...**_

 _Tigerclaw scowled at his former-clanmates' glares before fleeing from ThunderClan's camp..._

 **\- o0o0o0o0o0o -**

 _ **From his leadership ceremony...**_

 _Power coursed through his veins as the newly-named Tigerstar basked in his nine-lives..._

 _ **To his brutal death at the claws of BloodClan's leader...**_

 _Pain battered at every nerve in his body as he felt his stomach tear open, ripping his lives, one-by-one, from him..._

 _ **To his death-within-death in the greatest battle in all clans' history...**_

 _Piercing green eyes continued to burn like fire as claws tore into his ghostly neck, causing the world around him to fade to black..._

 **\- o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o -**

The connection shattered, leaving Tigerstar bent over and gasping for breath as his innards warmed back up. "What... What did you do to me?" He snarled, snapping his gaze up at the bright figure.

 **"Grr-aoh!"**

Tigerstar shut his eyes, crying out as sharp pain exploded inside him, and the booming voice spoke.

"With this new life, I strip you of your bloodlust... of your passion for causing misery... and of your murderous ambition..."

"With this new life, I give you ambition- not to cause death and destruction to those in your wake, simply for your own gain- but to allow you to protect and provide and the ones who rely on your support..."

"With this new life, I deem you worthy of a second chance at life..."

 **"Grr-arrrgh!"**

 **. . .**

"Heh..."

Tigerstar painstakingly lifted his head as he heard an eerie chuckle, gazing at the figure- creature- with confusion...

...Before him stood a dark, shadowy, tabby with glowing amber eyes...

The creature smirked at him, displaying sharp, sinister teeth, before being blown away in the nonexistent wind...

"Wha...?" Was the last thing Tigerstar could mutter before his vision faded away one last time...

* * *

 ***Shrugs* I thought it was pretty good, haha!**

 **So, that concludes the Prologue! It's pretty short, but most Prologues usually are.**

 **Leave a review if you'd like, criticisms and feedback are always appreciated!**

 **~ Littletail**


	2. Allegiances

**Ta-da! The full allegiances of all four clans!**

 **Now, let me tell you all something; I had to do a lot [and I do mean a lot] of digging around on the Warriors Wikia to find out what cats should be included in these allegiances. Mostly, I added in cats who were never confirmed to have died during / after the events of each clan's "Pre-Rusty" Super Edition. I also added a few cats who showed up later on in the series with no real explanation.**

 **One thing to note before reading through:  
**

 **-** ShadowClan's allegiances... You may notice that I listed Yellowfang as the medicine cat with Runningnose still as her apprentice. As far as I am aware, she isn't banished from ShadowClan until the day before Firepaw finds her. This means, that at the time of the start of this story, she would still be ShadowClan's medicine cat, and thus, I decided to label her as so.

 **-** Should you know of any cats that I missed, please do let me know! I want to be as accurate as possible with these allegiances.

 **That's all there is to say there, so...**

 **On with the lists!**

* * *

 **\- Redemption : Chapter 00.5 : Allegiances**

* * *

 **ThunderClan Allegiances**

 **Leader:** Bluestar - a lithe, pale, blue-gray she-cat with a silver-tinged muzzle and ice-blue eyes.

 **Deputy:** Redtail - a dark, ginger-and-black tom with a distinctive, bushy, fox-colored tail, feathered ears, and amber eyes.  
(Apprentice: Dustpaw)

 **Medicine Cat(s):** Spottedleaf - a soft-furred, dark, tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with a distinctive dappled coat and amber eyes.

 **Warriors:** Lionheart - a broad-shouldered, pale, golden tabby tom with thick furs around his neck like a lion's mane and green eyes.  
(Apprentice: Graypaw)

Tigerclaw - a large, broad-shouldered, dark-brown tabby tom with long claws and amber eyes.  
(Apprentice: Ravenpaw)

Whitestorm - a thick-furred, snow-white tom with tufted ears and yellow eyes.  
(Apprentice: Sandpaw)

Willowpelt - a slender, pale, silver-gray she-cat with blue eyes.

Mousefur - a wiry, dusky-brown tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.

Runningwind - a lean, light-brown tabby tom with green eyes.

Darkstripe - a large, thin-furred, dark-gray tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Longtail - a lean, pale, brown tabby tom with black stripes, a long tail, and blue eyes.

 **Apprentices:** Ravenpaw - a sleek, jet-black tom with a white dash on his chest, a thin, white-tipped tail, and amber eyes.

Dustpaw - a dark-brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Sandpaw - a slender, pale, ginger she-cat with leaf-green eyes.

Graypaw - a dark-gray tom with shaggy fur, a darker stripe running from his head to his tail, and yellow eyes.

 **Queens:** Goldenflower - a sleek, pale, yellow tabby she-cat with yellow eyes. (Mother of Patchpelt's kits; Swiftkit, a small, black-and-white tom-kit with amber eyes. Lynxkit, a pale, ginger-and-black tom-kit with yellow eyes.)

Frostfur - a snow-white she-cat with dark-blue eyes. (Mother of Lionheart's kits; Cinderkit, a fluffy, dark, smokey-gray she-kit with pale-blue eyes. Brackenkit, a dark, golden-brown tabby tom-kit with amber eyes. Brightkit, a thick-furred, ginger-and-white she-kit with blue eyes. Thornkit, a golden-brown tabby tom-kit with amber eyes.)

Brindleface - a pale, gray tabby she-cat with darker flecks and green eyes. (Pregnant with Redtail's kits.)

Speckletail - a pale, golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes. The oldest queen in the clan. (Pregnant with Smallear's kits.)

 **Elders:** Halftail - a large, scarred, dark-brown tabby tom with half-of-a-tail and yellow eyes.

Smallear - a gray tom with small ears, a nick in one ear, and amber eyes.

Patchpelt - a small, black-and-white tom with smooth fur and yellow eyes.

Dappletail - a dappled, tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes.

One-eye - a pale, gray she-cat with one missing eye and one yellow eye.

Rosetail - a light-brown tabby she-cat with a pinkish-orange tail and amber eyes.

* * *

 **ShadowClan Allegiances**

 **Leader:** Brokenstar - a massive, scarred, dark-brown tabby tom with a bent tail and amber eyes.

 **Deputy:** Blackfoot - a large, white tom with huge, jet-black paws and amber eyes.  
(Apprentice: Ratpaw)

 **Medicine Cat(s):** Yellowfang - a battle-scarred, dark-gray she-cat with a broad, flattened face and amber eyes.  
(Apprentice: Runningnose)

 **Warriors:** Brackenfoot - a pale, ginger tom with dark-ginger legs and amber eyes. The oldest warrior in the clan.

Newtspeck - a mottled, black-and-ginger tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.

Ashheart - a pale, gray she-cat with blue eyes.

Frogtail - a dark-gray tom with blue eyes.  
(Apprentice: Whitepaw)

Darkflower - a black she-cat with yellow eyes.

Scorchwind - a ginger tabby tom with green eyes.

Nutwhisker - a brown tom with amber eyes.

Rowanberry - a cream-and-brown she-cat with amber eyes.  
(Apprentice: Snowpaw)

Wolfstep - a gray tabby tom with one white paw and green eyes.

Tallpoppy - a light-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes.

Boulder - a big, gray tom with blue eyes.  
(Apprentice: Wetpaw)

Russetfur - a well-muscled, dark-ginger she-cat with dark green eyes.

Clawface - a scrawny, battle-scarred, dark-brown tom with amber eyes.  
(Apprentice: Littlepaw)

Flintfang - a gray tom with thick paws and amber eyes.

Fernshade - a tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes.

Tangleburr - a gray-and-brown she-cat with bright-blue eyes.

Deerfoot - a dark, gray-and-brown tom with a white chin and yellow eyes.

Cinderfur - a thin, gray tom with amber eyes.

Stumpytail - a brown tabby tom with a short, stumpy tail and amber eyes.  
(Apprentice: Brownpaw)

 **Apprentices:** Runningnose - a small, gray-and-white tom with a crusty nose and amber eyes.

Brownpaw - a mottled, brown-and-ginger tom with yellow eyes.

Littlepaw - a small, brown tabby tom with light-blue eyes.

Wetpaw - a gray tabby tom with blue eyes.

Ratpaw - a skinny, dark-brown tom with green eyes.

Snowpaw - a sleek, snow-white she-cat with green eyes.

Whitepaw - a black tom with white paws and blue eyes.

 **Queens:** Dawncloud - a pale, ginger tabby she-cat with yellow eyes. (Mother of Finchflight's kits; Swampkit, a ginger-and-white tom-kit with green eyes. Blossomkit, a white she-kit with green eyes. Oakkit, a small, light-brown tom-kit with green eyes.)

Brightflower - an orange tabby she-cat with a broad, flattened face and amber eyes. (Mother of Brackenfoot's kit; Mintkit, a small, gray tom-kit with amber eyes. Marigoldkit, a tiny, tortoiseshell she-kit with amber eyes.)

 **Elders:** Ashfur - a thin, long-bodied, gray tom with blue eyes.

Crowtail - a long-legged, small, black tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

Archeye - a gray tom with black stripes, patchy fur, and green eyes.

Deerleap - a gray tabby she-cat with white legs and green eyes.

Nightpelt - a small, black tom with a long tail and yellow-green eyes.

* * *

 **RiverClan Allegiances**

 **Leader:** Crookedstar - a huge, light-brown tabby tom with a twisted jaw and green eyes.

 **Deputy:** Oakheart - a large, dark, reddish-brown tom with clear, amber eyes.

 **Medicine Cat(s):** Mudfur - a lean, light-brown tom with amber eyes.

 **Warriors:** Owlfur - a sleek, brown-and-white tom with green eyes.

Whitefang - a huge, white tom with a striped tail, brown paws, and green eyes.

Softwing - a snow-white she-cat with brown, mackerel tabby patches and blue eyes.

Mosspelt - a tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with blue eyes.

Voleclaw - a gray tom with yellow eyes.

Petaldust - a tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes.

Beetlenose - a broad-shouldered, black tom with yellow eyes.

Sunfish - a light-brown tabby she-cat with green eyes.

Frogleap - a light-gray tom with a striped tail and green eyes.  
(Apprentice: Vixenpaw)

Blackclaw - a smokey-black tom with a long tail and green eyes.

Skyheart - a pale, brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

Loudbelly - a dark-brown tom with amber eyes.  
(Apprentice: Silverpaw)

Reedtail - a pale, gray tabby tom with a long, thin tail and amber eyes.

Leopardfur - a dappled, golden tabby she-cat with unusual spots, a long tail, and amber eyes.  
(Apprentice: Whitepaw)

Greenflower - a brown, striped she-cat with a white hind paw and green eyes.

Dawnbright - a ginger-and-white she-cat with blue eyes.

Mallowtail - a tortoiseshell-and-white tabby she-cat with green eyes.  
(Apprentice: Grasspaw)

Stonefur - a blue-gray tom with a shredded ear and blue eyes.

 **Apprentices:** Whitepaw - a dark-brown tom with one white paw and amber eyes.

Silverpaw - a sleek, silver-gray-and-black tabby she-cat with bright-blue eyes.

Grasspaw - a brown tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Vixenpaw - a black she-cat with a reddish tail and green eyes.

 **Queens:** Sedgecreek - a brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. (Mother of Voleclaw's kits; Heavykit, a big, light-brown tabby tom-kit with green eyes. Shadekit, a dark gray she-kit with green eyes.)

Mistyfoot - a lithe, blue-gray she-cat with ice-blue eyes. (Pregnant with Blackclaw's kits.)

 **Elders:** Shimmerpelt - a night-black she-cat with blue eyes.

Piketooth - a dark-brown tabby tom with protruding canines and green eyes.

Greypool - a skinny, dark-gray she-cat with a scarred muzzle and pale yellow eyes.

Rippleclaw - a black-and-silver tabby with green eyes.

* * *

 **WindClan Allegiances**

 **Leader:** Tallstar - a large, black-and-white tom with a long, thin, white-tipped tail and amber eyes.

 **Deputy:** Deadfoot - a small, black tom with a twisted left paw and blue eyes.

 **Medicine Cat(s):** Barkface - a dark-brown tom with a short tail and yellow eyes.

 **Warriors:** Aspenfall - a sleek, gray-and-white tom with long legs and blue eyes.

Cloudrunner - a sleek, pale, gray tom with long legs and amber eyes.

Shrewclaw - a dark-brown tom with yellow eyes.

Stagleap - a stocky, dark-brown tom with amber eyes.

Ryestalk - a gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes.  
(Apprentice: Stonepaw)

Doespring - a light-brown she-cat with green eyes.

Sorrelcharm - a gray-and-brown she-cat with yellow eyes.

Pigeonwing -a dark, gray-and-white tom with blue eyes.

Wrenflight - a brown she-cat with amber eyes.  
(Apprentice: Thrushpaw)

Flylight - a ginger-and-white tabby tom with amber eyes.

Tornear - a wiry, gray tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Mudclaw - a wiry, dark-brown tabby tom with amber eyes.

Onewhisker - a small, light-brown tom with amber eyes.

 **Apprentices:** Stonepaw - a gray tom with amber eyes.

Thrushpaw - a tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes.

 **Queens:** Plumclaw - a small, dark-gray she-cat with green eyes. (Mother of Aspenfall's kits; Runningkit, a light-gray tabby she-kit with green eyes. Robinkit, a light-brown she-kit with blue eyes.)

Larksplash - a tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with green eyes. (Mother of Crowfur's kits; Webkit, a dark-gray tom-kit with yellow eyes. Nightkit, a black she-kit with amber eyes. Whitekit, a small, white she-kit with green eyes. Gorsekit, a tawny tom-kit with green eyes.)

Ashfoot - a broad-faced, gray she-cat with amber eyes. (Mother of Deadfoot's kit; Eaglekit, a gray tom-kit with amber eyes.)

Morningflower - a tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes. (Pregnant with Cloudrunner's kits.)

 **Elders:** Crowfur - a black tom with a silver muzzle and yellow eyes.

* * *

 **Cats Outside of the Clans**

Rusty - a sleek, dark, flame-colored tom with emerald-green eyes.

Smudge - a soft, plump, black-and-white tom with a black nose and amber eyes.

Barley - a short, black-and-white tom with big paws and luminous blue eyes.

* * *

 **Good StarClan, that's a lot of freakin' felines!**

 **This list, while tedious, was super fun to put together.**

 **Now, on to the actual story!**

 **~ Littletail**


	3. Chapter 1

**Haha, I got so excited about this that I just couldn't wait until next week to update!**

 **\- Frosted Winter Soldier:** Aww, shucks, really? Thanks, friend, and luckily for you, you didn't have to wait all that long!

 **\- Rubybird2329:** Really? I feel like this idea would have been run into the ground by now! Thanks a lot!

 **With those little responses out of the way, let's get on with chapter one!**

* * *

 **\- Redemption : Chapter 01 : Chapter One**

* * *

"Grr-aoh!"

Tigerclaw's body lurched upwards from where it lay.

He looked around frantically to get his bearings as all-too-familiar scents flood his senses. His amber eyes settled on a tortoiseshell tom who, like a few other tired and disgruntled warriors, was looking back at him quizzically. "Have a bad dream, Tigerclaw?" The tom asked humorously, lowering the paw that he had been cleaning.

Tigerclaw merely gave a forced, uneasy smile as his gaze shifted to the other cats in the den. He quickly recognized all of the warriors who he thought were long gone in StarClan.

 _There's Lionheart... Whitestorm... and Redtail..._

A shiver went down his spine, the memory of the tortoiseshell's murder fresh in his mind.

 _So, that... thing sent me back in time. I didn't know StarClan had that much power unless... it wasn't StarClan...?_

He shook his head, far too confused to try to understand what had happened to him. _Perhaps this is my eternal torture; not an abyss, but forcing me to relive all of my failures. Although... What was it that the voice said near the end?_

Tigerclaw frowned, thinking back.

 _"...I deem you worthy of a second chance at life..."_

The tabby flinched as a dark-colored paw waved in front of his face. "Tigerclaw, are you alright?" Redtail asked, eyeing the tom with concern.

Tigerclaw nodded unconvincingly. "Yes, I am." He rumbled. "Just... groggy." He added, only semi-truthfully.

Redtail frowned. "Are you sure? I can see if Whitestorm will stay behind to take your spot on the patrol if you're not."

He shook his head, rising to his paws. "No need, I'm perfectly fine." He repeated.

The deputy shrugged, smiling. "Alright, that's good to hear. Why don't you go wake your apprentice while I gather up the other warriors here."

"Right." Tigerclaw agreed, slipping out of the Warriors' den.

The sky was orange as light peered through the trees.

Tigerclaw couldn't help but smile as he breathed in the morning air; an action that was impossible to do while in the Place of No Stars. His gaze swept over the ThunderClan camp, coming to a rest on the familiar tree stump he knew as the Apprentices' den.

The tabby strode over to it, poking his head in through the entrance.

The four apprentices were still sleeping peacefully, albeit the twitches from the small, black tom.

Tigerclaw's whiskers twitched as a loud snore sounded, no doubt coming from the sprawled out, gray tom.

"Ravenpaw." The warrior spoke. "Get up."

Ravenpaw murmured something tiredly, curling up into a tighter ball.

Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes, speaking louder. "Raven-"

 **"Ye-ouch!"**

The black apprentice jumped up from his nest, having been kicked in the face by the now-snickering, brown apprentice in the nest next to him.

Ravenpaw shook the sleep away, looking blearily at his mentor. "I-I'm up!" He squeaked.

"Good," Tigerclaw said. "We're on patrol."

With that, the tabby warrior slipped his head back out of the den, padding over to join the other warriors of his patrol.

Runningwind yawned, leaning on his sister, Mousefur, tiredly. Tigerclaw was surprised that the normally temperamental she-cat hadn't shoved him away by now. Movement near the Highrock caught his eye, and he noticed the large form of Lionheart leaving the Leader's den, followed by Whitestorm.

Tigerclaw glanced at Redtail quizzically.

"They're going to meet up with that kittypet that Bluestar mentioned yesterday." The deputy explained in a low voice. "I believe his name was... Rusty?"

A growled formed instinctively in the tabby's throat as he pictured... him.

 _Great..._

Redtail frowned sympathetically. "I know you don't like kittypets, especially after..." He trailed off hesitantly. "But, Bluestar speaks well of this young cat, and I trust her judgment; don't you?"

"Of course..." Tigerclaw grunted, flicking his tail with annoyance.

"Who knows, he may be your leader someday." Redtail chuckled at the tabby's response.

 _How convenient that I'd be forced to start over on the day where that blasted kittypet entered my life._

Ravenpaw had joined the group by now, green eyes still hazy with sleep. "Well, let's get this patrol start, shall we?" Redtail decided.

The five cats departed, leaving the comfort of camp to trot through the forest. Tigerclaw, surprisingly, lagged behind at the back of the group.

 _So... What am I supposed to do about this whole "reliving life" thing? I suppose yo- I know everything that's going to happen, so I might as well make use of it._

Tigerclaw pondered his situation as he admired the trail. _Hmm, isn't this the path to Sunningrocks-_

His eyes widened; he knew this particular group of cats seemed familiar!

This was the patrol for that battle at Sunningrocks...

...The battle where he murdered Redtail...

 _What- What do I do now?_

Tigerclaw froze in place, the patrol continuing without him.

 _Do I... Do I still kill him, and maybe Ravenpaw too? After all, it was that damned apprentice's disobedience that ruined my plans in the first place._

Ideas bombarded the tabby's mind, furthering his confusion. Throughout it all... one thought seemed to stand out above the rest...

 _...There's no need to worry about that today, just focus on keeping alive..._

For some, odd reason, the thought soothed his worries. His shoulder's relaxed as he hurried to catch up to the patrol, who hadn't seemed to notice his absence.

It wasn't long before the patrol emerged into the dazzling clearing. The dawn's light seemed to make the boulders shine along with the clear surface of the river that divided the two territories. The group split up, each going to mark their own part of the border.

Tigerclaw couldn't help but take in the scenery once again. He narrowed his eyes as he spotted something odd across the shore...

...Many pairs of glimmering eyes seemed to be watching the patrol of cats...

Suppressing a growl, the tabby inched closer to Redtail. "We've got company." He muttered, subtly signaling the intruders to the deputy.

"So we do," Redtail muttered back crossly. "ThunderClan, to me!" He called to the rest of the patrol.

The five ThunderClan warriors stood together, holding their heads high and their gazes even as two sleek bodies exited the bushes, padding over to the opposite shoreline. The first of which was a large, reddish-brown tom with striking-amber eyes and a hint of a smirk on his lips. The second, while not quite as large as the first, was a solid, blue-gray tom who stood with confidence as he stared down the forest-dwelling warriors with his deep-blue eyes.

Tigerclaw couldn't help but snort, scoffing internally.

 _Arrogant fish-breaths... Just as I remember._

"Oakheart. Stonefur." Redtail greeted calmly. "What brings you so close to the river; remarking your borders, I'd assume?"

Oakheart gave the other deputy a grin, showing off his sharp, gleaming teeth. "Indeed we are. However, it would appear that you're... trespassing!" He shouted. "RiverClan, attack!"

Four cats broke, two from either side of the bushes, swimming across the river as swiftly as fish before launching themselves at the ThunderClan patrol.

Tigerclaw snarled, quickly noticing that his side was outnumbered. He took a quick note of the situation, everything seemed just as it had been before; Mousefur and Runningwind were teamed up against two RiverClan warriors, Redtail was fighting one-on-one with another RiverClan warrior, whilst Ravenpaw battled a silver apprentice.

Oakheart and Stonefur quickly crossed the river. The latter of which bounded away to aid his clanmate against ThunderClan's deputy, leaving Oakheart and Tigerclaw to face off alone.

"Oakheart," The tabby growled. "Does your drowned excuse for a territory no longer satisfy you?"

The RiverClan deputy threw his head back and let out a hearty laugh. "After today, Tigerclaw, this will be RiverClan's territory." With those words, he launched himself at the tabby, bowling him over.

Tigerclaw hissed as the reddish-colored tom stood over him. He quickly shot out his hind legs directly into the deputy's stomach, knocking the wind out of him as he was forced away from the tabby.

Tigerclaw scrambled to his paws and wasted no time as he barreled into the RiverClan tom.

Oakheart hissed as he landed roughly on his shoulder.

An unsheathed paw pressed dangerously into his throat, pinning him.

"Reinforcements from the river!" A voice cried out.

Tigerclaw snapped his gaze up from the tom. Four more sleek figures bounded from out of the river, joining the fight without even bothering to stop and shake the water from their pelts.

A pained cry sounded over the battle. "Mousefur!" Tigerclaw growled.

He leaped off of Oakheart, throwing himself into the fish-faced attacker. The tabby sunk his teeth into the warrior's shoulder, satisfied as he heard his enemy yowl.

The tom struggled, quickly managing to free himself, and, after managing to score a jagged slice across the bridge of Tigerclaw's nose, dashed away across the river.

Redtail stumbled over to Tigerclaw. "Tigerclaw, we have to retreat! We're too badly outnumbered to win this!"

Adrenaline coursing through his veins, Tigerclaw shook his head. Scarlet droplets scattered on the rocks from the fresh wound on his face. "And let RiverClan take Sunningrocks, I don't think so!"

The tortoiseshell growled. "ThunderClan honors your courage, Tigerclaw, but we cannot afford to lose any more warriors!" He explained. "ThunderClan, retre-"

"Oh no, you don't! I'm not done with you yet!" Oakheart cried, throwing himself into the other deputy. The two tumbled downhill, passing the boulders, and Oakheart slammed the weakened tom against the wall of a short ledge.

Tigerclaw frowned as he felt the ground rumble slightly beneath his paws, confused before his eyes widened in realization. "Redtail, look out!"

"Oakheart, the rocks!" Stonefur had realized as well, warning his father.

The deputies looked up, far too late, as the boulders fell on top of them, burying them... All fighting ceased at once as Tigerclaw and Stonefur hurried over to inspect the damage. "Redtail!" The tabby called out, hopelessly as he knew the rockslide had ended their lives.

Stonefur gazed at the pile, jaw locked and blue eyes clouded with grief. The tom took a deep breath, tearing his gaze over to Tigerclaw. "Take your cats and go... Sunningrocks belongs to RiverClan..."

Tigerclaw growled though he knew he and his clanmates were in no position to object. He flicked his tail, rounding up the other three cats in the patrol as he overlooked the damages to his clanmates. Ravenpaw was the most wounded, with a newly-torn ear dripping blood as he limped heavily on a blood-soaked paw. Runningwind had various scratches along his flank, with much more decorating his muzzle. Mousefur bore a nasty gash on her shoulder that even Tigerclaw knew could turn sour quickly.

The brute sighed, shaking his head in defeat. "ThunderClan, back to camp." He ordered.

He retreated into the forest behind the rest of his patrol, casting one last spiteful look back at the RiverClan cats.

* * *

 **I've always felt that it was sort of Redtail's fate to die during that fight, whether from Tigerclaw's... well, claws, or because of the same rockslide that killed Oakheart.**

 **Nevertheless, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! The next one will be for-sure posted on Tuesday, so check back then, friends!**

 **Until then, be sure to leave a review! Criticisms and feedback are always appreciated!**

 **~ Littletail**


	4. Chapter 2

**Finally back to chapter two!**

 **I meant to post this last night, but I got super sidetracked. Sorry!**

 **Also, I tried to make this chapter a similar length as the last one. Hopefully, it doesn't feel too stretched out!**

 **\- Icestorm of DeathClan:** Thanks, friend!

 **\- Frosted Winter Soldier:** Thank you, and you really think so? I've also been pretty bad at writing out battles, so I'm glad you think that one was good! And, like I said, I feel that it was always Redtail's fate to die in that battle.

 **\- Guest [Guest]:** Wait for no longer, friend!

 **\- Giulia [Guest]:** Thanks a lot!

 **\- Wildtrance:** It's gonna take a whole heck of a lot to get our evil little boi to be more openminded! But, hey, can you really blame him when the last thing he saw was that very cat ending his afterlife?

 **Without further adieu, let's get** **on to chapter two!**

* * *

 **\- Redemption : Chapter 02 : Chapter Two**

* * *

Tigerclaw's battle-worn patrol trudged through the gorse tunnel.

All eyes were on the group immediately, and Tigerclaw couldn't help but flatten his ears as both shocked and worried gasps sounded from the others.

A blue-gray she-cat had exited the den near the Highrock, having overheard the commotion, and approached the patrol. "Tigerclaw, what happened?" She demanded, pausing to scan the group of cats as she noticed one's absence. "And where is Redtail?"

Tigerclaw took a deep breath. "Redtail... is dead."

His leader's eyes flashed. "Where is his body?"

"Buried," The tabby stated bluntly. "Beneath a rockslide, alongside the RiverClan deputy's."

Bluestar lowered her ears, whispering under her breath. "Oakheart too..."

Tigerclaw flicked his ear as he heard her whisper. It was no surprise this time around, as he knew of his leader's relations with the now-deceased RiverClan tom.

The she-cat shook her head slowly as the news sunk in. After a few heartbeats, she turned and leaped up onto the Highrock. "Redtail was a noble deputy..." She spoke. "No one could ever doubt his loyalty to ThunderClan. I valued his advice, as we all did, for I knew he always gave it with ThunderClan's best interests in his heart. He would have made a fine leader indeed."

"Tonight, we shall hold vigil for him, though there was no body recovered."

With those words, the blue-furred leader made her way to the center of the camp, where she lied down; paws folded neatly against her chest with her head lowered mournfully.

Others followed suit, saying their last goodbyes to their fallen clanmate.

Tigerclaw's ears perked as he overheard a couple of voices.

"Dustpaw and Sandpaw must be devastated." The first voice, which Tigerclaw could recognize to be the young apprentice, Graypaw, said sadly.

"Why's that?" An all-too-familiar voice questioned bluntly.

"Redtail was Sandpaw's father, and Dustpaw was his apprentice."

Tigerclaw scanned the grieving cats until he spotted the mentioned apprentices. He couldn't help but lower his ears and give a slight frown at the sight; Sandpaw had her face buried in Dustpaw's chest, her body twitching occasionally from her sobs. Dustpaw rested his chin on top of her head in comfort, his own ears flat against his head.

The tabby tore his gaze away, opting to head towards the Medicine Cat's den than to mope around.

His stride faltered, and he let out a low growl as he noticed the plump, ginger tom-cat sitting beside Graypaw. The duo was seated in his very path.

Tigerclaw's eyes were narrowed as he stalked up to the two. "Who is this?" He questioned.

"This is Firepaw, the new apprentice," Graypaw explained with a smile.

"Smells like a kittypet." Tigerclaw mocked, noticing Firepaw shrink from his words.

The ginger apprentice regained his composure, sitting up straight as he looked Tigerclaw in the eyes. "I was one, but now I'm an apprentice of ThunderClan. One day, I'll be a warrior, like you!"

The tabby held back a snort.

Tigerclaw lashed his tail. "I'll be watching your progress." He grunted before continuing towards the Medicine Cat's den.

"Do you think he likes me?" He overheard Firepaw ask eagerly.

"I don't think Tigerclaw likes any apprentice," Graypaw admitted.

The tabby let out a small snort.

 _Well, that's one thing we can agree on._

Once he'd made it to the den, he padded inside. Spottedleaf was currently treating Ravenpaw, with poultice visible on his wounded ear as she inspected the apprentice's paw. "How are his injuries?" Tigerclaw asked.

The tortoiseshell looked up from her work. "His ear will be fine, albeit a bit scarred." She explained. Despite the soft smile on her muzzle, Tigerclaw could see the pain in her amber eyes. He frowned as he remembered that the medicine cat was Redtail's littermate.

"Very well," He hummed, glancing at the small tom resting in the nest. "And, uh... I'm sorry, about Redtail..." He added in a low voice. "I tried to warn him, but I was just too late."

Spottedleaf gave him a sad smile. "It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anybody's fault." She sighed. "That's... just how life goes sometimes..."

Tigerclaw nodded awkwardly, unfamiliar with this sort of situation. "Right..." He trailed off, turning to leave the den.

"Tigerclaw," The she-cat started. "Don't think that I don't see those wounds."

The tabby scoffed as he looked back at the tortoiseshell. He opened his mouth, ready to object, though she cut him. "Even you know better than to argue with a medicine cat." Spottedleaf chuckled softly.

Tigerclaw smirked back at her and rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't dream of arguing with you, dear Spottedleaf." He replied cheekily.

With that, he walked deeper into the den and sat on his rump, allowing the she-cat to inspect his scratches. It took all of his power to keep from wrinkling his nose at the bitter scent of the herbs as she applied them to the scratch between his eyes.

Once she finished, he bid her a goodbye and exited the den.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!"

Tigerclaw perked his ears as Bluestar called together a meeting, no doubt the very one where she announces the next deputy. He took a seat, not too far from the golden tom himself, and looked up at his leader.

"I saw these words before the spirit of Redtail, so that he may hear and approve my choice... Lionheart shall be the new deputy of ThunderClan." Bluestar announced.

Tigerclaw flicked his tail, looking over at the newly-named deputy.

Lionheart's eyes were wide in surprise, but he quickly shook it away and smiled. "I never expected this, much less under such... circumstances. But, I promise to be the best deputy that I can be." He spoke nobly.

Cats were crowding around him, congratulating him.

Tigerclaw strode up to the golden tom once the others had finished. "I'm going hunting." He informed.

Lionheart opened his mouth, likely to ask him to lead a patrol.

"Preferably, alone."

The deputy shut his mouth and gave a firm nod.

With that, the dark-colored tabby made his way out of ThunderClan's camp, hoping to clear his mind.

He trotted along at a steady pace for only a few heartbeats, until he felt that he was far away enough from the heart of the territory. Once he'd felt it was fine, he let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding in.

"Finally," He muttered. "A moment to think."

Being thrown back in time, and then thrown into a fight without an opportunity to even try to understand the situation sure brings a lot out of a cat.

Tigerclaw frowned as his stomach growled; he hadn't eaten at all today, and it was nearly sunhigh!

He shook the tiredness away. "Perhaps a full belly will help me figure this all out." He decided, opening his mouth to scent the area around him. "Now, let's see if nearly a decade in the afterlife has corrupted my hunting skills."

The tabby smirked as he picked up a scent.

 _Squirrel... How delightful._

The bushy-tailed, soon-to-be fresh-kill had always been a favorite of his to eat after a long day of duties.

Tigerclaw inched his way along the path; eyes, ears, and nose alert to any signs. At last, he spotted it; the flashy, fiery, ginger-colored fur of his prey as it nibbled on some nuts at the curly roots of an oak. The tabby held back a growl as it reminded him of another certain ginger-colored creature.

He shook those thoughts away, crouching down as he focused all of his senses on the squirrel.

One step, then two.

Closing the distance between predator and prey, Tigerclaw leaped, large claws extended.

His claws pierced the rodent's skin, and his mouth lunged towards its neck. He bit down hard, splattering blood on both his paws and the grass nearby.

Tigerclaw withdrew as his kill stopped struggling, frowning.

 _Not exactly the cleanest kill I've ever done..._

The tabby shrugged, plucking the prey from its spot on the ground and setting towards his favorite spot in ThunderClan's territory. It was a nice, secluded clearing near the Twolegplace border that, as far as Tigerclaw knew, no cat has ever stepped paw in.

He settled down in a sunny patch of grass, dropping the rodent as his paws.

Tigerclaw quickly dug into his meal, savoring the taste which he'd long but almost forgotten. The metallic tang of blood mingled with the meaty taste, and the bites themselves were very easy to chew through.

Quickly, he finished eating and pushed the remains to the side, making a mental note to bury it once he was done in the clearing.

He sighed, resting his head on his paws.

With his meal eaten, he was left with nothing else but his own thoughts.

What does one even do about being thrown into the past so suddenly... or, at all, he wondered?

 _Let's see... Since I know everything that's going to happen, I should make my plans around that, right?_

Tigerclaw paused, shuffling through his memories.

 _Now... What's the next big thing that's going to happen?_

Memories of a grumpy, flat-faced she-cat flashed in his mind.

 _Right, that kittypet is going to come across Yellowfang in, say, two moon's time? Then, come Greenleaf, I should be right back in my rightful position as ThunderClan deputy._

He grinned, tail flickering in a strange bout of excitement.

 _Since Redtail died... naturally, this time around, then that means Ravenpaw has nothing to witness, meaning that he has no idea what I'm planning. He won't be giving that kittypet any ideas, which means there will be no one to stop me when I finally come to end Bluestar's rule._

Tigerclaw let out a small laugh at his own brilliant plan.

 _Or..._

Tigerclaw furrowed his brow as a new thought popped into his mind.

 _If I know I'm going to be made deputy... Why don't I just wait out Bluestar's lives, I'll still be next in line either way._

 _Bah! Where's the fun in that? Why wait to become a leader when we can have it even sooner?_

"Gah!" Tigerclaw cried out in frustration, claws piercing the grass below him.

His thoughts were only confusing him more, he would be getting nowhere like this.

The tabby let out an irritable sigh, deciding that it would be best to make his plans as he went along. He shook his head, rising to his paws before padding away.

 _I supposed I'd better get some hunting done, lest I get chewed out for returning with empty paws..._

* * *

 **Poor Tigerclaw has no idea what to do now!**

 **Anyways, I'd love it if you left a review! Criticisms and feedback are always appreciated!**

 **~ Littletail**


	5. Chapter 3

**Are you ready for chapter three?**

* * *

 **\- Redemption : Chapter 03 : Chapter Three**

* * *

Only a few days had passed since the infamous battle for Sunningrocks.

Tigerclaw padded alongside the ThunderClan deputy as three apprentices lagged behind them. Spottedleaf had deemed Ravenpaw well enough to resume his training, and Bluestar had requested that the two mentors share their duties in training Firepaw.

They had already taken the ginger tom on a tour of the territory the previous day, leaving this one entirely for hunting.

Despite having witnessed it all before, Tigerclaw couldn't help but be in awe at how quickly the three young cats had bonded. Where you found one apprentice, you always found one or both of the others.

The five cats soon arrived at the Sandy Hollow, where Lionheart decided to begin the lesson.

"As Firepaw's first, official day as an apprentice," The golden warrior began. "And, because you two could still use some practice," He added. "We're going to be working on your hunting crouches."

Firepaw's eyes lit up with excitement at the mention of hunting.

"Before we can get to the real deal, however, let us review the difference between stalking a rabbit, and stalking a mouse."

"Oh, oh! I know this one!" Graypaw bounced on his four paws. Lionheart nodded, allowing the gray apprentice to continue. "Rabbits have better noses than mice, so they'll be able to smell you before they can even see you!"

"But a m-mouse will be able t-to feel your pawst-steps?" Ravenpaw stuttered hesitantly.

Lionheart smiled warmly at the two. "Correct, both of you."

Graypaw puffed out his chest proudly while Ravenpaw let out a sigh of relief.

"So, what must you always remember when you're stalking mice?"

Firepaw scrunched up his face in thought. "Step lightly?" He guessed.

"Correct again," Lionheart purred. "Now, let us see your crouches."

Graypaw and Ravenpaw instinctively fell into place as Firepaw watched them. The two mentors inspected the apprentices as they began crawling forward.

"Excellent form, Graypaw." Lionheart complimented.

"Keep your rear down, Ravenpaw." Tigerclaw eyed the black tom. "You look like a duck.

The dark tabby turned to the remaining apprentice. "Your turn, kittypet."

Tigerclaw didn't miss the frown Lionheart gave him as the golden tom glanced over.

Firepaw's tongue poked out of his mouth slightly as he concentrated on his crouch, mimicking his friends' poses. He began crawling forward, awaiting the warriors' critique.

"Well, it's obvious you know nothing but softness." Tigerclaw couldn't help but say. "You stalk like a lumbering kittypet, do you think prey will simply fall into your paws?"

"His pace and forward movement will come later," Lionheart nudged the dark tabby, giving a gentle smile. "But his crouch is perfectly balanced."

Tigerclaw couldn't deny the deputy's words, so he simply glanced away with a slight frown.

Graypaw had seemed to notice the tension in the air, however, as he pretended to stumble forward. "Well, I'm more lopsided than a blind, one-legged badger!" The apprentice joked, stupidly tripping over his own big paws.

"Graypaw, now is no time for your jokes." Lionheart scolded lightly, though he held a small smile on his muzzle.

The golden tom cleared his throat before continuing. "Now, I think it's time for each of you to try catching your own prey." He decided, gaining the three apprentices' attention. "Ravenpaw, look by the Owltree. Graypaw, there should be something in that big bramble patch over there. Firepaw, follow the rabbit track that way; you'll find a dry stream bed."

The apprentices split off on their designated paths giddly, leaving the mentors alone together.

Tigerclaw quickly glanced at Lionheart, twitch the tip of his tail awkwardly. He'd always hated these moments alone with other mentors, especially when he knew the deputy would try conversing-

"So, Tigerclaw."

He groaned internally.

 _Speak of the Dark Forest..._

"Have you been feeling all that well lately?"

The tabby looked over, evidently confused. "Of course, I feel fine." He answered truthfully.

"Oh, really?" Lionheart held a smirk on his face and his whiskers twitched. "Because you haven't seemed to be quite so- and don't take this the wrong way- as grumpy as you usually tend to be."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes.

"Well, I haven't seen you snap at Ravenpaw since he's been out of the Medicine Cat's den."

"Not yet." Tigerclaw snorted. "Since when does me not being so... snappish, mean that I'm ill?"

Lionheart shrugged. "It's just rather... out of character, for you."

The tabby rolled his eyes. "The scrap is learning; he pulls his weight and I don't have to waste my words on him.

"Was that a compliment-"

He growled, cutting the deputy's words off.

Only a few heartbeats later, a gray figure emerged into the hollow. Graypaw dropped a small mouse and puffed out his chest proudly.

Firepaw returned next, shortly followed by Ravenpaw.

Each apprentice had caught a mouse, and with little struggle, Tigerclaw noticed.

"Your first catch!" Graypaw exclaimed to his friend.

"N-Nice work." Ravenpaw congratulated.

Graypaw let out a sigh, eyes clouding up in the moment. "Ah... I remember my first catch like it was only yesterday." The shaggy apprentice shook his head in mock nostalgia.

"It wasn't even a half-moon ago, Graypaw." Lionheart chuckled.

Graypaw's eyes widened, a look of sheer horror on his face. "A half-moon already!? Oh, how time flies so quickly! Soon, I'll be an elder, complaining about my poor, aching bones to the young apprentices; just like Smallear!"

His friends snickered, and even Tigerclaw couldn't help but twitch his whiskers.

"Now, now, you should respect your elders, Graypaw," Lionheart said, though he grinned at the humorous apprentice.

"Perhaps they've had enough excitement for today?" Tigerclaw suggested.

Lionheart nodded. "Yes; great job, all three of you." He commented.

Tigerclaw rose to his paws. "Shall we head back to camp?"

The deputy nodded, and the five cats departed from the hollow, three of which carried their catches with pride.

 **\- o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o -**

Tigerclaw huffed as he plopped down beside two tabbies, one dark, and one light, dropping a sparrow at his paws.

"Apprentices," He complained, plucking a few feathers from his fresh-kill. "They're insufferable,"

Darkstripe let out a snort, glaring at the lighter tabby next to him. "Tell me about it."

Longtail scoffed in mock appall. "Puh-lease! I wasn't that bad."

"You were a walking nightmare."

"Yeah... well..." Longtail trailed off as he tried to figure out a comeback. "I doubt you were any better!"

Tigerclaw shrugged, swallowing a bite. "He's not wrong."

Darkstripe rolled his eyes. "Whatever," He sniffed, deciding to return to the previous subject. "Anyway, are you sure it was the apprentices that were bad, or was it hanging out with Mr. 'Almighty' Deputy?"

He snorted at the nickname. "Honestly, I'd say both."

The black tabby scoffed. "I don't know how you stand to be around him." He shuddered. "I think I'd lose my mind."

Tigerclaw shrugged. "I suppose he's not quite as bad once you get used to him." He then grinned, holding his head up higher. "Plus, I keep in mind that; one day, I'll be in his position."

The other two grinned as well, exchanging a glance. "Yeah!" Longtail cheered. "Once you're the leader of ThunderClan, no one's going to be able to boss us around."

Darkstripe nodded along. "With me as your deputy, and Longtail as our top advisor-"

"Wait, why do you get to be deputy?" Longtail questioned, frowning.

"Because I'm older." Darkstripe pointed out with a smirk. "And because I was Tigerclaw's apprentice."

"I can't help that I wasn't born earlier!"

"Kittens," Tigerclaw scolded. "Settle down now; I'm not even deputy-"

"Planning to replace me?"

The tabbied trio looked over as the golden figure of Lionheart approached them.

Tigerclaw chuckled, a small smile on his face. "These two were simply arguing about which of them I would choose to be deputy if I were ThunderClan's leader." He explained. "Although, I don't believe the Warrior Code would allow kits to be made deputy of the clan."

Longtail stuck his tongue out immaturely, causing Darkstripe to rolled his eyes and smack the pale tabby in the back of his head.

Tigerclaw turned back to Lionheart, his point proven. "Did you need something?"

Lionheart nodded. "Yes, I'd like you to form a hunting patrol; choose two more warriors and one of the older apprentices."

The dark tabby dipped his head. "Very well."

The deputy nodded once more before padding away.

Tigerclaw flicked his tail to his friends. "We're going hunting." He said. "Darkstripe, find your apprentice and bring him along."

Darkstripe nodded, trotting away. "Dustpaw!" The dusty-brown apprentice shot his mentor a glare, as he was currently busy conversing with Sandpaw. "Hunting patrol." Dustpaw rolled his eye but bid farewell to the paler apprentice before padding after his mentor.

The group departed, no true destination in mind.

"So, where are we headed?" Dustpaw asked.

"The Owltree is usually plentiful this time of day." Longtail pointed out.

Tigerclaw nodded shortly. "We'll go there." He decided. "Dustpaw, why don't you run ahead to check for scents along the path?"

The apprentice pursed his lips, but nodded and bounded ahead.

Tigerclaw stopped to let the apprentice gather distance, before turning to the other two.

"I don't trust that kittypet." He growled.

 _Maybe if I just gave him a cha-_

 _Never, that kittypet can't be trusted!_

The two exchanged a glance at his growl.

"Obviously, we all know that he's going to be running back to his twolegs by leaf-bare!" Darkstripe exclaimed.

"That's not... entirely true..." Longtail muttered.

Darkstripe gave him an incredulous look. "Don't tell me you actually like that kittypet?"

Tigerclaw frowned. "Need I remind you what he did to your ear?"

The pale tabby shrugged. "Sure, he gave me a scar; but he put up quite the fight for a fresh-from-the-nest kittypet."

Darkstripe scoffed. "You must have bees in your brain."

"What harm could he do?" Longtail questioned.

"He's tainting the pure-blood of our clan!" Darkstripe explained as though it were obvious.

"If we just gave him a chance-"

"Enough!"

Tigerclaw bared his teeth as his cohorts, before relaxing his shoulders and sighing.

"Very well, Longtail, we'll try it your way. We'll give that kittypet a chance, but only one." He added sternly. "But, let me just tell you this; cats like him don't understand the meaning of loyalty. That kittypet is going to push his limits, he's going to soil our Warrior Code and he's never going to get in trouble for his actions. He'll get away with everything he does, simply because he's 'curious'."

Longtail's eyes were wide, while Darkstripe grinned.

"Well, you know what they say," The black tabby snickered. "Curiosity killed the cat."

"I-I mean, of course, he's going to get in trouble." Longtail countered. "Every cat who breaks the code gets punished."

Tigerclaw couldn't help but laugh. "When you're a senior warrior, Longtail, you know when you leader favors certain cats. And, believe me, Bluestar adores that kittypet like he's her own son."

A small, brown head poked through the bushes, startling the tabbied trio.

Dustpaw gave the three a look, a mouse hanging from his jaws. He spat the rodent onto the ground and quickly buried it. "What's the hold-up?" He whined.

"We're getting there!" Tigerclaw snapped.

"Yeah, calm those impatient little whiskers." Darkstripe sneered.

Dustpaw frowned as Tigerclaw shoved past him, followed by Darkstripe.

Longtail shared a glance with the dusty apprentice and shrugged apologetically before the two quickly hurried to catch up.

 **\- o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o -**

Tigerclaw's eyes drooped as his patrol entered the camp.

"Hey, Tigerclaw!" The tabby looked up to see Whitestorm, a large rabbit at his paws. "Want to share?"

Tigerclaw gave a forced smile through the prey in his jaws and nodded curtly. He padded over to set his catches with the rest, before joining the white-furred warrior. They took a spot near the Warriors' den, and Whitestorm allowed Tigerclaw to take the first bite.

The tabby chewed a quick bite, swallowing before yawning. "Did you catch this yourself?" He asked, deciding to humor the tom.

Whitestorm chuckled. "Well, I don't want to brag but... I did." He answered.

Tigerclaw's nose twitched at the white tom's pride. "Well, you always were the better hunter."

The other shrugged. "And you, the better fighter."

He frowned, thinking back to the battle.

"Not even the best fighter can completely protect his clan..." Tigerclaw murmured.

"Nor can the best hunter completely fill their bellies..." Whitestorm countered with a frown.

Tigerclaw shook his head, taking another bite. Once he'd swallowed the meat, he let out a sigh. "I'm not all that hungry, I think I'll turn in early."

Whitestorm nodded. "Very well, may your nest be thorn-less." He bid goodnight.

The tabby dipped his head. "Yours as well." He said.

With that, he padded away from the white warrior and into the den to curl up in his nest and drift into a peaceful slumber...

* * *

 **Aww, what a nice little moment between Tigerclaw and Whitestorm!**

 **Anyways, I don't have much to say here so be sure to leave a review! Criticisms and feedback are always appreciated!**

 **~ Littletail**


	6. Chapter 4

**Greetings, friends, to chapter four!**

 **\- Fireworksafterdawn:** Bahh, typos always manage slip by me! And, uh, yeah, that's totally what I was going for there, haha!

 **\- Wildtrance:** I've never liked how much Fireheart was allowed to get away with breaking the warrior code so much, especially since it's supposed to be so sacred.

 **That's all for this little note, now, onto the chapter!**

* * *

 **\- Redemption : Chapter 04 : Chapter Four**

* * *

Tigerclaw's claws ripped at the grass beneath his paws impatiently. Today, he was leading a patrol to check on the WindClan border; word in the forest was that ShadowClan had been seen prowling around the moors.

"Do you think it's true?"

He blinked and looked up from the shredded grass. "Huh?"

Darkstripe rolled his eyes at the inattentive tom. "I said, do you think it's really true that WindClan and ShadowClan have allied?" He repeated.

Tigerclaw scoffed. "Is that what cats are saying now?" He clicked his tongue. "Those two clans haven't exactly had the best relations in the recent past. Tallstar would have to be senile in order to ally with that dastardly Brokenstar." The tabby explained his thoughts. "I'm certain it's ShadowClan overstepping like they tend to do, testing the waters to see just how far they can push until WindClan retaliates.

 _Not that I don't already know the truth._

Darkstripe shrugged. "I guess."

Eventually, the gray figure of Willowpelt hurried over to join the two toms. "Sorry about the wait." She smiled apologetically, flicking specks of blood from her whiskers as she twitched them, a sure sign that she'd just finished eating.

Tigerclaw shrugged her off with a wave of his tail. "It's fine." He said. "Let's just hurry up and get this patrol over with."

The trio left the campgrounds, Tigerclaw taking place at the head of the group.

"Do you really think it's an alliance?" He heard Willowpelt question.

"I'm not sure, Tigerclaw says it's unlikely, though." Darkstripe answered.

Tigerclaw zoned out the rest of the duo's chatter until the strong scent of swamp flood his nostrils. Out of instincts, he let out a growl as he halted his steps.

Willowpelt frowned, wrinkling her nose as she looked out across the moor. "I can't even scent WindClan under all this ShadowClan reek." She pointed out.

The tabby took a step forward, nearly crossing the invisible border-line.

"Woah, hang on Tigerclaw!" Darkstripe hurried to block his path. "We can't just go marching into WindClan's territory, especially if there's a chance they've buddied up with ShadowClan!"

"Well, then what do you suggest we-"

Suddenly, something small, gray, and fluffy barreled it's way out of the undergrowth, startling the patrol.

"Graypaw!" Tigerclaw exclaimed as he recognized the out-of-breath apprentice.

Graypaw gasped as he attempted to catch his breath. "Bluestar... message..." Tigerclaw perked his ears at those words.

The apprentice inhaled deeply, exhaling with a sigh of relief. "Phew, what a run that was!" He laughed aloud. "Anyways, Bluestar sent me to catch up with you guys. She wanted me to tell you three to wait by the Great Sycamore, so she can join you in investigating this ShadowClan business herself." He explained.

Tigerclaw gave a curt nod. "Very well." He flicked his tail, signaling his patrol to follow him.

He paused as he noticed Graypaw following them. "Shouldn't you be heading back to camp?" He questioned.

The apprentice pouted. "Aw, but can't I come with?"

Willowpelt smiled, immediately swayed by her son's kitten-eyes. She licked his ear affectionately before saying. "Of course, you-"

"We don't need nosy apprentices interfering with warrior business." Darkstripe sneered.

"I'll be a warrior someday!" Graypaw pointed out.

Tigerclaw rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Fine, come along if you'd like. We'll see what Bluestar decides about it when she arrives."

Graypaw's face lit up and he happily followed the patrol on their way to the Great Sycamore.

It didn't take long for their leader to appear, meowing her greetings to the patrol.

"I see Graypaw managed to deliver the message on time."

The apprentice puffed out his chest, face beaming with pride.

Bluestar nodded to Tigerclaw. "Lead the way."

The tabby blinked, surprised. "Alright." He cleared his throat before marching the group back to WindClan's border.

The leader paused as they arrived, sniffing out the area. "Not a lick of WindClan scent..." She muttered before trotting on ahead, beckoning the patrol to follow her.

Darkstripe's eyes widened from seeing ThunderClan's leader so boldly cross the border into enemy territory. "Blu-" Tigerclaw shut the black tabby up with his tail, silencing his protests.

Everywhere along the uplands, there was ShadowClan scent to greet them...

Tigerclaw's pelt couldn't help but bristle, uncomfortable with being so deep into another clan's land. "You don't think... could ShadowClan have driven WindClan from the moor?" He voiced, knowing the answer already.

"It is possible," Bluestar muttered. "There's only one way to know for sure."

The blue-furred leader led them to the heart of the territory; WindClan's camp, while the rest of the patrol followed a bit more hesitantly.

Not a single enemy was there to oppose them...

ShadowClan scent seemed to cover every corner of the camp...

Dried blood and strewn fur were scattered across the ground, signifying the location of a fight...

Willowpelt gasped, and the others followed her gaze. There, laying off to the side of the camp, was the still, cold body of a young, gray, WindClan tom.

Darkstripe was the first to approach, mouth slightly agape with shock. "Stonepaw..." He whispered.

Tigerclaw padded over to his friend's side, frowning. "You knew him?"

The black tabby nodded. "Longtail and I had met him at the last two gatherings. He had a bit of a mouth and a pretty big ego; he also loved to go against authority. He was so... so..."

"Like you?" Tigerclaw smirked dryly.

"Yeah." Darkstripe forced out a small chuckle.

Bluestar frowned as she looked down at the deceased apprentice. "WindClan was driven from their camp, leaving them with no time to stop and bury this cat." She deduced. "I'm sure he was a fine apprentice who would have made an exceptional warrior for WindClan."

The group stood silently for a few heartbeats, before carefully carrying the body out of camp.

They set out to dig a grave, a quickly finished it with five-sets of paws working. They nudged the body into the newly-dug hole, before covering it back up.

After a few more heartbeats, Bluestar slowly shook her head. "We have gotten out answers, we must return to ThunderClan and share the news."

With that, the patrol set foot back to their own territory.

 **\- o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o -**

It wasn't long before they were trekking through the familiar forest that they called home.

Darkstripe pricked his ears as he heard a yowl. "Anyone else heard that?" He asked.

Graypaw frowned. "Sounds like... yowling?"

Tigerclaw growled. "Sounds like a fight."

 _And I know exactly who that is. I suppose it will be nice to see that kittypet get in trouble again._

Bluestar nodded, swiveling her ears to locate the source of the noise. "This way." She turned and hurried through the undergrowth.

What the group found was, not a fight, but rather, the aftermath of such one. Firepaw sat alongside a scraggly black she-cat with a flat face, the scent of fresh-kill in the air.

"Hey, Firepaw!" Graypaw swished his tail with a big smile on his face as he greeted his friend, seemingly unaware of the tense situation.

"Quiet!" Darkstripe snapped at the younger cat.

"Firepaw," Bluestar spoke clearly. "What have we here? An enemy warrior, and recently fed by the looks of it."

Tigerclaw was impressed that the ginger apprentice kept a cool stance under his leader's burning gaze. However, those feelings vanished as Firepaw then lowered his head submissively.

"She was weak... and hungry..." He muttered.

"And, what of you? Was your own hunger so bad that you had to feed yourself before gathering prey for your clan?" Bluestar continued. "You'd better have a very good reason for breaking the warrior code like this."

Firepaw opened his mouth weakly to respond.

"Once a kittypet, always a kittypet." Darkstripe sneered.

Tigerclaw shot the black tabby a quick glare as Bluestar finally looked over to the strange cat. The leader's hardened face immediately morphed into one of surprise. "Well, well, Firepaw. It seems you've captured a ShadowClan cat- one that I know well. You're ShadowClan's medicine cat, aren't you?" Bluestar questioned the she-cat. "What are you doing so far into ThunderClan's territory?"

The scraggly she-cat hissed. "I was the ShadowClan medicine cat, but now I walk alone."

Tigerclaw surpassed a snicker at Firepaw's shocked look. Clearly, he wasn't aware that he'd just fought an enemy clan cat. "Yellowfang," He couldn't help but smirk. You must have fallen on some hard times to be beaten by a new apprentice."

"This old cat is of no use." Darkstripe scoffed. "We 'oughta kill her now, and this kittypet must be punished for breaking the warrior code!"

"Keep your claws in, Darkstripe." Bluestar smiled. "All the clans speak of Yellowfang's bravery and wisdom, it may do us good to hear what she has to say."

"Come, we'll take her back to camp, then we'll decide what we should with her," The leader's gaze shifted to the ginger apprentice before adding. "And Firepaw."

Bluestar looked back at Yellowfang. "Can you walk, or do you need help?"

Yellowfang snorted. "I've still got three good legs."

The blue-furred she-cat nodded respectfully as the former ShadowClan cat limped forward. The rest of the ThunderClan cats took a place on either side of the prisoner, walking in time with the injured she-cat.

The apprentice, meanwhile, lagged behind the warriors. "Have you heard of Yellowfang?" Tigerclaw heard Firepaw question his friend.

"Kind of; apparently she was a warrior before she became a medicine cat," Graypaw answered. "I can't imagine her as a loner though, she's lived her whole life in ShadowClan."

"Oh..." Firepaw muttered.

"...What's a loner?"

 _Ugh, kittypets..._

 **\- o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0 -**

Eyes peeked curiously at the newcomer alongside the patrol as they returned to camp.

"Who is that hag?"

"Isn't that the ShadowClan medicine cat?"

"You mean Yellowfang? What's she doing in ThunderClan?"

The group stopped near the Highrock, and Yellowfang dropped to the ground with a sigh of relief. The rest of the patrol dispersed as the ThunderClan medicine cat strolled over, a bundle of herbs already in her mouth.

"I know how to take care of my own wounds!" Yellowfang snapped at the tortoiseshell.

Spottedleaf paused before nodding respectfully and setting the herbs down, backing away.

Tigerclaw narrowed his eyes as he eyed the dark she-cat. Usually, he would voice concerns over having an enemy cat so deep into their camp. However, this time he decided to stay silent, speaking only in his own mind.

 _Perhaps I can use Yellowfang's presence here to my aid this time around. I'll just need to figure out how..._

The tabby was shaken from his thoughts as Longtail called over to him."Hey, Tigerclaw, you gonna sit around and stare at the grass all day or what?"

Tigerclaw smirked as he strolled over to his two tabbied friends. "It's a lot more interesting than you two, that's for sure."

Longtail turned his nose up dramatically, though Darkstripe lashed his tail.

"Can you believe that kittypet captured a ShadowClan cat?" The black tabby sneered angrily.

Speaking of said kittypet, Tigerclaw glanced over to spot the ginger apprentice leaning down to grab a small mouse. "Not for you!" He barked, startling the tom. "You didn't bring back any prey today, so the elders will get to eat your share." He explained. "Take it to them."

Tigerclaw watched the apprentice scurry to the Elders' den, ensuring he didn't scarf it down when the tabby's back was turned.

Darkstripe snorted. "Eats whatever he catches then tries to take our hard-earned food out of our mouths. Talk about spoiled, much."

"What do you think will be his punishment?" Longtail asked.

"It's like I said the other day," Tigerclaw responded. "Bluestar won't do anything as long as she favors him.

"ThunderClan needs a real leader- an unbiased leader," Darkstripe huffed. "Like you."

Longtail meowed an agreement, but Tigerclaw waved them off modestly.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!" Bluestar called out.

Since the clan was mostly gathered already, she continued. "I'm sure you all have heard about the prisoner that my patrol brought back today." She said. "But there is more urgent news that I must address."

Bluestar paused, looking down at Yellowfang. "Can you hear me?"

"I may be old but I'm not deaf!" Yellowfang spat.

Her hostile tone was ignored as Bluestar continued speaking. "I'm afraid I bring back rather grave new. I took a patrol to WindClan's territory to investigate the ShadowClan scents, and what we found was no good at all." She paused, shaking her head in disbelief. "Almost every mouse-length of that moor seemed to be sprayed by ShadowClan, and we met no WindClan warriors even when we traveled to the very heart of their territory."

Silence met her words for some heartbeats.

"Has... Has ShadowClan chased them out?" Patchpelt asked hesitantly.

"While we cannot definitively know for sure, there was blood and fur strewn about the camp, and even the body of a young WindClan apprentice was found lying in the open."

Longtail frowned, looking over at Darkstripe. "It wasn't..."

Darkstripe nodded solemnly. "It was."

The pale tabby's ear drooped sadly. "No..."

"But, how could WindClan have been driven away so easily?" One-eye asked. "ShadowClan is fierce, but WindClan is many."

"They've lived on those moors for generations," Smallear added on. "Why would they get chased out now?"

Bluestar shook her head. "I do not have answers to those questions. Though, it is known that ShadowClan has recently obtained a new leader, Brokenstar, following the death of Raggedstar, though he showed no signs of threat or hostility at the last gathering."

"Perhaps Yellowfang has the answers?" Darkstripe spoke up, glaring at the she-cat. "After all, she is one of them."

Yellowfang bared her teeth at the black tabby. "I'm no traitor." She spat. "ShadowClan may no longer be my home, but I will never share their secrets with a brute like you!"

Darkstripe sneered back at her, poised for a fight as he began marching towards the ex-medicine cat.

"Stop!" Bluestar bellowed.

The warrior halted, though Yellowfang's goaded him on.

"That is enough!" His leader growled. "This situation is far too serious to be fighting amongst ourselves."

"ThunderClan must be prepared; from tomorrow onwards, warriors will travel in larger groups. Others will remain close to camp, patrols will check the borders more frequently, and all kits will stay in the nursery."

Others nodded in agreement.

Bluestar continued. "Our need for warriors is great, so we must speed up the training of our apprentice; they will need to be ready to fight for the clan sooner."

Tigerclaw swept his gaze over the groups of apprentice, all of which were visibly excited. Even Ravenpaw had a small smile on his face, though his tail twitched nervously.

"One young cat had been sharing mentors with Graypaw and Ravenpaw, by teaching him myself, we will be able to speed up the training of all three apprentices." Bluestar paused, gaze shifting to the ginger apprentice besides his friends. "I shall take on Firepaw as my own apprentice."

Tigerclaw bit his tongue, feeling the same bust of anger as he had the first time around.

"So, Firepaw is to be rewarded for breaking the warrior code, not punished!?" Longtail exclaimed with disbelief.

 _Poor, naive, Longtail; it's exactly as I tried to tell you._ Tigerclaw flicked his tail slowly at his friend's expression.

Bluestar matched her gaze with Longtail's. "Firepaw is my apprentice now, I will punish him as I see fit." She stated, turning back to address the rest of the clan. "Yellowfang shall be kept here until she has recovered her strength. We are warriors, not savages, so she will be treated with respect."

"But the clan can't support Yellowfang." Darkstripe protested. "We can barely feed the mouths we have now."

Tigerclaw's whiskers twitched as he overheard Graypaw whisper. "Yeah, and some are bigger than others."

"I don't need anybody to care for me," Yellowfang growled. "And I'll split open anyone who tries."

Bluestar ignored the banter. "As for your punishment, Firepaw, it will be your responsibility to care for Yellowfang." She decided. "You will hunt for her and tend to her wounds, as well as gather fresh bedding and clear away her dirt."

"Good idea!" Dustpaw snickered. "Firepaw had better be good at cracking fleas!"

"And hunting," Sandpaw added. "That bag of bones is going to need feeding."

"Enough!" Bluestar interrupted them. "I hope Firepaw will find no shame in taking care of Yellowfang. She is both a healer and his elder, for those reasons alone he should respect her."

She shot a sharp glance at the older apprentices. "There is no humiliation in caring for a cat who is unable to take care of themselves."

Tigerclaw could see both Dustpaw and Sandpaw flatten their ears, looking down at their paws, while Dustpaw lashed his tail at the scolding.

The leader turned back to the clan. "This meeting is over, I would like to speak with my senior warriors alone."

With that, Bluestar leaped down from the Highrock and marched into her den; with Lionheart and Whitestorm following her.

Tigerclaw flicked his ear while he joined the two, as he heard his cohorts confront Firepaw.

"I hope you'll think twice about bring strays back to camp next time." Darkstripe hissed.

"Like I said," Longtail scoffed. "Outsiders always bring trouble."

* * *

 **This chapter was mostly a copy-paste of the canon one, with the beginning scene added on. But, hey, every AU story has at least one of those, so, oh well!**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this slightly longer chapter, and don't forget to leave a review! Criticisms and feedback are always appreciated!**

 **~ Littletail**


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